A Gatlinburg Chili Cook-Off Salmonella outbreak in 2020 sickened 99 people, according to a study conducted by epidemiologists at the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH). On November 17, 2020, the TDH was notified by the USDA of a complaint of gastrointestinal illness among attendees of the cookbook, which was held on November 12, 2020. The next day, the Sevier County Environmental Health Specialist received another complaint of more illnesses. An outbreak investigation was launched. TDH notified the host of the event, the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce, of the complaints and requested contact information for the vendors and attendees. All 13 vendors that participated in the event were contacted. The information they provided was used to create an event-specific questionnaire, which … [Read more...]
Hepatitis A in Zayde’s Deli in Food Worker in Shelby County, TN
A food worker at Zayde's Deli in Shelby County, Tennessee has been diagnosed with hepatitis A and was working while infectious, so may have exposed customers to the virus, according to a notice from the Shelby County Health Department. The restaurant in located at 6560 Poplar Avenue in Memphis. Anyone who consumed food or drink at Zayde's Deli or ate take-out meals from the restaurant between June 29, 2021 and July 7, 2021 may have been exposed to the virus. If you ate there on June 30, 2021 or later, you are still eligible to get a hepatitis A or immune globulin vaccination, but if you ate there on June 29, 2021, it's too late for a shot. All you can do is monitor yourself for the symptoms of hepatitis A. You may want to check with your doctor to see if he or she thinks a vaccine … [Read more...]
CDC Weighs in on Jules Cashew Brie Salmonella Outbreak
The CDC is weighing in on the Jules Cashew Brie Salmonella outbreak that has been declared over. As of July 7, 2021, 20 people in four states have been sickened in this outbreak. Five people have been hospitalized. No deaths were reported. The 20 people sickened is an almost threefold increase over the number reported in the last update in May. Then, seven people were part of this outbreak. In addition, a new state was added to the outbreak: Maryland. The patient case count by state is: California (15), Florida (2), Maryland (1), and Tennessee (2). The patient age range is from 1 to 72 years. Illness onset dates range from December 11, 2020, to May 9, 2021. State and local public health officials interviewed patients about the foods they ate the week before they got sick. … [Read more...]
It’s the Cashews: Seven Sick in Jules Cashew Brie Salmonella Outbreak
It's the cashews. Seven people are sick in the Jules Cashew Brie Salmonella outbreak, according to a new update posted today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That is an addition of two more patients since the last update in April. Three people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. And a new strain, Salmonella Urbana, has been added to the original outbreak strain of Salmonella Duisburg. Two people identified in this outbreak are sick with Salmonella Urbana infections. The case count by state is: California (4), Florida (1), and Tennessee (2). The patient age range is from 23 to 72 years. Illness onset dates range from January 31, 2021 to April 8, 2021. But the true number of people sickened in this outbreak is likely much higher than the number … [Read more...]
Jule’s Cashew Brie Salmonella Duisburg Outbreak Sickens 5 in 3 States
The FDA has posted a notice saying that a Jule's Cashew Brie Salmonella Duisburg outbreak has sickened at least five people in three states. The CDC has not yet posted an outbreak investigation notice. Jule's Foods recalled all of their products for possible Salmonella contamination on April 22, 2021. Jule's Cashew Brie is a vegan or plant-based cheese alternative. The firm is located in Carlsbad, California. Salmonella Duisburg is considered a rare serotype of this pathogen. The case count by state is: California (2), Florida (1), and Tennessee (2). Two people have been hospitalized because they are so sick. The last illness onset date was February 27, 2021. We don't yet now the patient age ranges. These products were distributed in these states: Arkansas, California, … [Read more...]
Multistate Outbreak #5 For 2019: Ground Beef E. coli O103
The multistate outbreak in the number 5 position for 2019 is the ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak that sickened at least 209 people in 10 states. Twenty-nine people were hospitalized. Two people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which is a type of kidney failure. As has happened so often this, year, no single source of contamination was identified. But two processors did recall ground beef that may have been contaminated with E. coli O103. The case count by state is: Florida (5), Georgia (51), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Kentucky (76), Minnesota (1), Mississippi (1), Ohio (12), Tennessee (59), and Virginia (2). Illness onset dates range from March 1, 2019 to May 1, 2019. The patient age range was less than 1 year to 84 years. Patients told investigators that they ate … [Read more...]
Consent Decree Against Biogenyx and Basic Reset For FD&C Act Violations
A federal court has ordered two Tennessee-based companies to stop distributing drugs, dietary supplements, and devices until the companies comply with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C). The companies are Biogenyx and Basic Reset. The FDA has not approved these drugs or devices "for any use, despite the companies’ claims that these products could be used to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent conditions such as inflammation, chronic diarrhea, bacterial infections, head lice, allergies and pain." In addition, those companies have unlawfully distributed dietary supplements that are adulterated and misbranded, according to the decree. During inspections at the facilities, FDA inspectors found numerous violations of the Current Good Manufacturing Practices … [Read more...]
Ground Beef E. coli 0103 Outbreak Ends With 209 Sick
The ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak has ended with 209 people sick in 10 states and 29 hospitalized, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Two people developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure. The outbreak notice states that ill people in this outbreak ate ground beef from many sources. No single source of contamination was identified. But two processors did recall ground beef that may have been contaminated with E. coli O103. The case count by state is: Florida (5), Georgia (51), Illinois (1), Indiana (1), Kentucky (76), Minnesota (1), Mississippi (1), Ohio (12), Tennessee (59), and Virginia (2). Illness onset dates range from March 1, 2019 to May 1, 2019. The patient age range was less than 1 year to 84 years. Two … [Read more...]
Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee Hardest Hit in Ground Beef E. coli O103 Outbreak
The states that have been the hardest hit in the ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak are Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Those states combined have 173 of the 196 people sickened in this outbreak. The outbreak does seem to be slowing down, according to the epidemiological Date of Illness Onset chart. Most cases were diagnosed in mid-March 2019, and have trailed off since then. But even though two companies have recalled raw ground beef products, the outbreak continues to grow. According to the epi chart, there could be as many as 50 more cases in this outbreak before it ends. States are investigating more illnesses that may be part of this outbreak. This outbreak actually begin in Kentucky, when public health officials there noticed a spike in E. coli cases. At first, … [Read more...]
Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee Hit Hardest in Ground Beef E. coli O103 Outbreak
Consumers in Kentucky, Georgia, and Tennessee have been hit hardest in the ground beef E. coli O103 outbreak that has sickened at least 177 people in 10 states. Those states alone have 158 sickened in this outbreak. According to CDC and FDA reports, no one has developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a type of kidney failure, in this outbreak, and no one has died. But 21 people have been hospitalized because their illness is so severe. There have been two recalls of ground beef associated with this outbreak, although the CDC report states that there is no one business or brand that can account for all of the illnesses in this outbreak. K2D Foods recalled 113,424 pounds of raw ground beef products for possible E. coli O103 contamination on April 24, 2019. And Grant Park Packing … [Read more...]
